


West Family Dinner

by MoreOfALoner



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Drunk!Caitlin, F/M, Snowbarry cuteness, Supernatural References, divorced WestAllen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-06-25 05:52:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19739599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoreOfALoner/pseuds/MoreOfALoner
Summary: Barry Allen is nervous to attend the first West family dinner since he and Iris got divorced,and he's also nervous to hide his secret from the mind-reader Cecile.aka Snowbarry secret relationship





	1. Chapter 1

Star labs has always been a busy place and that afternoon was no different.

Cisco, Caitlin and Barry had spent the entire morning going after a meta that was able to disappear out of thin air leaving a blast of energy behind him.

By afternoon they had achieved to capture him and now Cisco and Caitlin were at the cortex when Barry flashed in.

“Alright guys, I left the meta to the police and I think we’re done for the day.” he said and rushed again to change into his casual clothes.

“This was an easy one.” Caitlin said.

“Easy?” Barry repeated.

“He almost burnt my lungs. How was that easy?”

“Oh come on,” Cisco exclaimed “we captured the meta in one day, less than a day, and you didn't even need Vibe or killer frost there to help you. That’s an easy job for me.”

“It was so easy Cisco didn’t even came up with a name.” Caitlin added.

“Yeah, well we’re kind of in our peak right now. We’re unbeatable. The perfect team.”

Barely looked at his friends briefly and then concentrated his stare at just the young geneticist who was looking back at him and smiling.

Cisco coughed to bring everyone back to reality.

“We have agreed there won’t be any lovey-dovey stuff in this building. You keep your relationship to yourself. I want my friends to stay my friends not a rom-com couple.

I won’t under any circumstances be the third wheel, because we are not actors in a rom-com movie, we are a team, the three amigos. You are not going to make us a 2 + 1. Nope, no I am not, under any circumstances and I repeat under any circumstances, the third freaking wheel”

“Relax, Cisco we didn't do anything.” Barry said and walked closer to the scientist. 

“Besides we love you too much to make you a third wheel. We are a family, Cisco, all of us.” Caitlin explained while she sat back in order to be closer to Barry who had stood behind her chair and placed his hands on her shoulders.

“And you are the very first to know that we're together.” Barry added. “That’s gotta be some proof, right?”

“Actually I am the only one who knows that you're together.” Cisco corrected the scarlet speedster.

“No, Oliver and Felicity know too, actually. Felicity figured it out by herself. No wonder she's a genius.”

“And when do you think the West family should learn about this?”

“We’re not ready yet, Cisco. We’ve discussed this. We don’t wanna hurt or disrespect Iris by how quickly we got together after the divorce.” Caitlin explained.

When she looked at Barry’s side she saw the look in his eyes that encouraged her to tell the rest of the story and so she continued.

“And I, I am a very afraid of what Joe’s reaction is going to be.”

“I actually understand and respect that. But guys it’s been four months since the divorce and one since you two became a thing. You gotta tell at some point soon or everyone will get hurt.” Cisco advised.

“Yeah, we know. No good comes from lies. But this…” Caitlin got interrupted

“Is not a lie. This is us keeping our personal lives personal.” Barry finished her sentence.

“That’s just some words you’re saying but they don’t change the situation, and you both know Joe would agree with me right now.” Cisco countered.

“So I am gonna ask again. How long are you going to hide this?”

“Cisco, you are making very hard questions today.” Caitlin sighed “Please stop.”

She ended half-pleading, half-sarcastic.

“I’m gonna agree with Caitlin. No more questions, especially not today.”

“Why not today?” As Cisco asked, the cryo-powered meta exhaled dramatically. “This is the last one, I promise.”

“Tonight is going to be a hard night. It’s the first family dinner since before the separation, let alone the divorce. Joe said that it’s an opportunity now that Wally is back and Joanie is in town for the whole family to gather. It’s going to be the first time I will be in the same room as Iris for more than a few seconds after a long time.”

“As you get, he’s nervous.” Caitlin provided. Cisco simply nodded as Caitlin put her hand on top of Barry’s who had moved and sat on the desk by her side.

“Especially since in our last real conversation she shouted at me that I ruined her life and no matter what I would always be hung up on her.”

“Have you talked to Wally about that? He is her brother after all. He might be angry.” Cisco made yet again another question. Caitlin raised her eyebrows comically.

“Are you serious right now?”

“Okay, okay I am sorry. I won’t make any more questions.”  
Barry was pale. “Oh no. What if he doesn’t wanna see me now? What if he convinces Joe to not talk to me anymore?”

“Look at what you did?” she said to Cisco and then turned towards Barry. “Barry? Honey? Nothing like that is going to happen. Joe loves you too much to let you out of his life. And Wally is a good man, he looks up to you and he knows you. He will understand that you ended the marriage for both your shakes.” Caitlin took both his hands and placed them at either side of her face while she leaned and let her forehead touch Barry’s.

“Why don’t we get out? Let’s go to your place and get you dressed.”

Barry agreed and got up, he took her hand said goodbye to Cisco and was ready to flash them both at his apartment, when Caitlin suggested they actually walked.

“It’s a really good way to forget about problems and spend some quality time with your girlfriend.” She explained.

Once they were on their way to his apartment Barry turned to Caitlin. “Say again what you said before.”  
“What?”

“Say you’re my girlfriend.”  
“I’m your girlfriend, Barry Allen.” She walked in front of him and rested her arms behind his neck. His hand immediately wrapped behind her waist and they kept slowly walking, with Caitlin doing it backwards. “Again.” He pleaded, and she chuckled.

“Do you wanna know what frost just said?”

“What?”

“We’re like teenagers on our first real relationship.” They both chuckled, and Barry stopped moving to kiss her slowly.

“You know we’re doing a truly terrible job at keeping us a secret if we’re kissing out in the open like that.” Caitlin said.

“You’re right.” Barry gave her a half smile and next thing she knew they were at his place, and he wrapped his arms tighter around her waist lifting her from the ground.

Needless to say Barry would be late again that evening.

Sometime later when it was almost time he left Barry was trying on outfits.

“Does this say ‘I’m over you but still single?”

“Your nice blazer and the sweater that itches you?” she asked him.

“How about you go more ‘I’m happy to be here, we’re just friends’?”  
“Someone’s jealous?” he grinned but she lowered her eyes.

“Baby, you don’t have to be.” He kneeled next to the bed. “I am yours. I was yours even back when I was married, you can’t doubt that.”

She sighed and looked at him in the eyes. ”I know, I know. It’s just that… she’s Iris, you’ve been in love with her for…”  
“No. don’t do this. We have talked about this back when things were complicating. I was in love with the idea of Iris. So much so, that I didn’t realize I was losing myself, and I was losing you in the process too.”

“Remember you are the reason, I am out of the speedforce, you called me, because opposites attract and so do soulmates. You are the reason I remembered who I was.”

“And to give credit when it’s due Ralph was the one who made me realize that the great possibility that’s sitting right next to me is you. Has always been you. You know when he made a move on killer frost.”  
Caitlin laughed.

“Yeah that was amusing and scary.”

“What I am saying is you own my heart, my mind, my soul.”  
“Oh, god. We are as sappy as rom-com characters.” Caitlin laughed.

“Okay, Dr. Snow. How do I do ‘I’m happy and we’re just friends?”

Barry ended up wearing a blue shirt with black jeans, ‘just to wear Caitlin’s colors’ as she had said, and his everyday coat. Just before he was ready to go Caitlin grabbed his arm and turned him towards her and kissed him.

“I am yours too. Now go.”

When Barry rang the doorbell, he still had that goofy smile on his face. Which immediately left his face when the person behind the door opened it.

“Barry.”

“Hello, Iris.” He greeted her.

“Come on inside.” She forced a smile on her face and welcomed him in.

“Hello.” He greeted Cecile and Joanie. He greeted baby Jenna much more funnily. He went there and make noises to the baby who was so happy to see him she crawled at him.

“Look at her go, she’s so fast.” As he said that, the picture of Caitlin saying that at their first karaoke night immediately run through his brain and he smiled even brightly.

“When was that?” Cecile questioned amusingly.

“What?”  
“The memory of yours that just screamed at my brain. Sounds like a fun night?” she explained.

‘Busted’ run through his brain but he tried to push the thought away.

“Umm, it was years ago, back when Caitlin and I were pining like fools. She had joined me at this club the bad guys were hanging, and she drank too much. She signed us up for karaoke and there needed to be some convincing for me to join.” He smiled while explained.

“Ohh that sounds fun.” Joanie exclaimed.

“It was. We still do it. We can’t take Cisco though. He’s weirdly competitive with karaoke. You should come sometime.” He invited her hoping to change the subject before he spilled the beans.

“How come I didn’t know about this?” Iris had been quite for so long, and she decided at that moment to contribute.

Barry froze. What was he supposed to say at that? Cecile seemed like she wanted to answer to his rhetorical unheard question. But she did something better.

“I remember you have a nice voice.”  
“Ehh, I can hit a few notes. Not as good as Kara though. She, she could be a professional. She’s something else.”

“Who’s Kara?”

“Well, Joanie since you are family, I can tell you she’s an alien from another earth.”  
Joanie laughed before she saw that everyone else was serious. “You can’t be serious. What? H-how?”

“I’ll explain but first, where’s Joe?”  
“He’s in the kitchen. He has some troubles with Grandma Esther’s recipe.”  
“Ohh, I am not going in there.”

“What about Wally?”

“He was on his way when he found some troublemakers at Coast City he’ll be here soon.”

“Okay, then Joanie,” he went on describing what the multiverse was and what he knew about Kara and the others.

“And she had that tragic great love story lately, so on our last karaoke, where we could all get drunk there was not much that stayed unsaid.”

“What kind of love story?”  
“Oh, I don’t know if she’d want me to share that. It was just unfair, because they were two people who completed each other, they made each other better people and happy of course and yet life didn’t let them be together.”

“Those are the best and simultaneously the worst love stories actually.” She commented.

“Yeah, we all deserve them, but nearly no one gets them.” Barry agreed.

“Maybe, it’s for the best. Now that I can feel what everyone feels, I have to say not everyone can handle it.” Cecile provided.

“And not everyone can appreciate them.” Iris added.

The doorbell rang once again and this time Joe came out before Barry was able to say he would get it.

“Hi, Joe.” He greeted his adoptive father quickly and got up anyway ready to greet Wally.

As expected on the other side was Kid flash, who hugged his father and moved inside, he approached Barry and with more contained excitement he shook his hand.

Barry felt relief. Yes it was awkward but it was not malignant. They would get over it and go back to acting like themselves.

While Wally was greeting everyone, Barry got a text.

_Cait: “Hey, how’s it going over there?”_

_Barry: “we’re going to be fine. Thanks Cait, you were right._

_What are you doing?”_

_Cait: “Impromptu SUPERNATURAL marathon with Cisco.”_

_Barry: “Have fun, babe.”_  


It turned out Joe, for the first time in his life, had failed at dinner. He claimed the food so bad he got rid of the pan as well. And now they were waiting for the pizzas to get there. Both Barry and Wally had offered to the express delivery, but Joe insisted he wanted all of his kids in one place for as long as he could.

Forty minutes later the pizzas had finally arrived and as they were ready to serve Barry’s phone buzzed again.

_Cait: “Sammy, is peety hot.”_

Barry giggled, and texted to Cisco.

_Bar: “What have you done with my girl?”_

He got his plate and checked his phone again.

_Cisco: “Drinking game. Every time they shout each other’s name we take a shot.”_

Barry smiled and replied to Caitlin

_Barry: “how many shots did you have?”_

_…_

_…_

_Cait: “7?”_

_“Now 8”_

Barry put back his phone and joined the conversation. He had noticed Iris eyeing him all night, and the more discreet glances of the telepath.

His phone buzzed again and this time Caitlin looked completely drunk. Even with Killer frost in her arsenal his girl still got drunk pretty easily.

_Cait: “Dean izz hoitrer.”_

_“Byt u r thr hotrest.”_

Before he was able to reply without laughing in front of everyone or even understanding what she said, Jenna began crying.

“She wants to sleep I’ll take her.” Cecile announced.

“No, let me. You enjoy your meal.” Barry offered.

“Sure?” she asked.

“Yeah. Come on little nugget.” He said while he picked up his sister.

The girl must be exhausted because she fell asleep like a light.

So he found the time to call his girlfriend. She answered pretty quickly.

“Hii, babbbyyy. Shhhh, nobody knows.” She said and laughed.

“How is the movie night going?”

“Barry, I can’t win. They say eash other’s names every two seconds, who ddoeess thhata?”

He giggled.

“Don’t laugh they‘re like Deaaan, Samm.” She said and made her voice as base as she could. She continued as drunkenly as before.

“And there they go again.” Barry heard downing another shot.

“How’s Cisco?”  
“Cisco says Jo shouldn’t have died…”

“What?” he asked scared, until he realized about which Jo they were talking about.

“Why not?” he humored her. In all honesty he was really keen of this Caitlin

“Jo was the only chance Dean had at happiness. And she died.”

“What about Castiel?”  
“Oh come on we all know they are just fishing us? No that’s not the word. Baiting! They are baiting us, they are not going to make Dean bi. But they love each other Barry!”

“I know Cait, but what about Hanna or Meg?” he smiled on his own. He was just going on about this because hearing Cait talking while drunk was very amusing.

As Caitlin explained “That’s why the show is awesome I wouldn’t mind if that happened. I just want them to be as happy as we are. They saved the world, we saved the world. We are happy, they should be happy.”

“I hope they will.”  
“You make me very happy, you know?”  
“You make me very happy too, baby.”

He was grinning like a fool.

“Look I gotta go soon. But I’ll pass by your place later, make sure you and Cisco are okay. Good?”  
“Of course, baby.”

“Just don’t play anymore okay?”  
“Pff, we’ve already put the next episode on.”

“Oh, no.” he muttered.

“Honey, drink a lot of water for me okay?” he thought again “Actually can you put frost on the line?”

Before Caitlin could answer Iris walked in and he froze with the phone on his.

“You took a long time and I came to see if you need help.”

“I’ll come by later. Have fun.”  
Barry said at the phone and then hang up.

“She’s asleep, let’s go downstairs.” He turned to Iris.

They exited the room and Iris stopped him.

“Who was on the phone?”  
“No one you need to know about.” He said a little too coldly.

“Barry, we need to talk.”  
“About what? We’ve already talked about everything.”  
“No.” she stepped in his way when he tried to move.

“No, you’ve said some very vague excuses but I haven’t said anything. And you need to hear it. I need you to hear it.”  
If this would help her then he would do it. Because he needed them to be family again, and that’s what family does, it helps you.

“Alright, say whatever you need to.”  
She led him to his old bedroom and then she started talking.

“Barry, six months ago, we were married, we were happy, we were living the perfect life. Until one day you come home and you say that you can’t do this anymore. That you are done, struggling to become someone else when I wasn’t the one I used to. You left the house and you broke my heart Barry. I thought that this was a phase and that we would get through this, but before I knew it, you came into STAR labs and told everyone that you found a new place, you took me to the lab and you gave me the divorce papers. When I asked you, you just said the same things again. Well, it doesn’t make any sense Barry.

I am here, I am Iris, the Iris you always knew, and I still love you.”  


She sighed and wiped the few tears that had spilled.

“I figured it out after I signed the divorce. You were the one that waited for me to be ready, you went after me, and now I am going to do the same. I am going to prove to you that you are everything.”  


“No, no. Iris that was not what I was going after. I don’t want you to wait for me, or chase me or do anything that I did. The truth is I know I haven’t been great at expressing myself. But I am doing this for the both of us.”  
We could divorce now, or wait until we don’t recognize ourselves anymore. And then we would hate each other.  


Iris, there isn’t a coy or anything like that. This is a fresh start, what happened four months ago, is an opportunity for both of us to be happy.”  


Iris couldn’t take it anymore. She shouted.

“I was happy.”

And Barry didn’t know what else to do.

“But I wasn’t.” he shouted back and left the room.

The yells were heard downstairs, so everyone was looking at him when he came down the stairs.

“We didn’t wake the baby up.” He just informed everyone and went to grab his coat.

“Wait, no mister. You are not leaving right now.” Cecile commanded him.

“Not before we talk.”

“I’ll go see what Iris is doing.” Joe said and climbed the stairs.

“I’ll go see Jenna.” Wally flashed upstairs too.

It was just Barry, Cecile and Joanie.

“So how long has this being going on?”  
“The break up?” He asked although he knew she meant something else.

“Don’t play dumb with me Bartholomew. You and Caitlin. How long?”  
Joanie gasped but waited for the answer.

“A month.”  
“You mean to tell me this didn’t happen while you were married.”  
“What? Cecile, how could you ask that? You know me. You think I would cheat on Iris?”  


Cecile tilted her head.

“There’s more to the story and we both know it. So why don’t you finally say the whole truth to someone?”

“Look, after we erased Nora from existence, I got memories back. Memories from my time in the speedforce.”

“What were these memories?” Joanie asked when Barry was hesitating to go on.

“The speedforce showed me things, it’s why I am finally fast enough. The speedforce pretty much explained to me why everything has to happen. It also talked to me about lightning rods, soulmates for speedsters.”

“I thought my lightning rod was Iris, but there I saw I was very wrong. Iris was never the one who told me I was meant to do this, she wasn’t the one to challenge me, to bring me back to reality. This role has always been filled by Caitlin. And I never knew it because she never went after the credit. And I was an arrogant fool who thought his childhood crush was the love of his life.” He chuckled.

“When Caitlin’s body was occupied by killer frost, back when they couldn’t work together, she used to come to the speedforce only because I was there. That’s why the speedforce allowed it. She is my other half and she belongs with me.”  
Joanie ‘awwed’ and Cecile elbowed her.

“She never told us.”  
“She doesn’t remember. She was the one who kept me sane inside there. When I came out here my brain couldn’t handle it all together so I became that cell of myself, but then Iris got in danger and I heard Caitlin’s voice in my head telling me to come back and help. It was like the speedforce thought it wasn’t time yet, and erased everything, or rather it locked everything behind a wall.”

“That still doesn’t explain anything.”

“Joanie, I am telling you a two year story here. It’s going to take some time, I’m spilling my guts.”

Joanie apologized and he proceeded.

“For a year I continued living in oblivion. Even a future daughter appeared and I believed it, we all did. Until she screw us over. But that happened later. Things started to clear out for me when I became Oliver Queen.”  
“What???” Joanie screamed.

“There’s a baby up there trying to sleep.” Cecile reminded them.

“You know Oliver Queen?” Joanie now whispered-shouted.

“Yeah, he is a good buddy.”

Joanie could not believe it.

“And how, why did you become Oliver Queen?”  
“A long story for another day. Anyway I was in my body but everyone believed I was Oliver Queen and I had his skills, he had my powers.”  
“When we fixed things, Oliver realized that he can sketch like me now. And I figured out later I can read people, their movements the tone of their voice, not like you, but I can understand what they are, their qualities, their flaws, all of it. That’s when I realized that Iris is not the woman I loved. That woman never existed.”  
He sighed and he was ready for the first time since he figured it out to say out loud what was running on his mind.

“I was in love with the idea that I had created back when I was a teenager, and from that point on I just kept building on that, I thought Iris was the perfect woman, I was wrong.”

“Barry, that’s just the being in love fading out. You just love her.”  
“Yes, I know I love her, but she never did love me more than a friend and now I feel the same. There were clues, like anytime we don’t talk about the flash business she gets bored, we don’t have common idea or ideals, we don’t understand each other.” He sighed again and looked at the two women, they were out of words.

“The worst part wasn’t that, because I thought I could fix that. I was drowning, losing myself to her. I had started to forget the most important things in my life. Caitlin got powers and I didn’t notice. Cisco was heartbroken, shattered to pieces and I wasn’t there. In order to please her I forgot about everyone else. And that’s not me. Then the whole thing with Nora and the reverse flash happened and when she disappeared all the memories hit me, and everything became extremely clear.”

“You were gonna divorce?” Cecile asked.  
“It’s the only way we could both get another chance.”

“And you would be with Caitlin.”  
Joanie added.

“Yes, I knew by then it was inevitable.”  
“That’s not all is it?” Cecile asked.

“No. one day I walked in the med lab and saw ralph making a move on killer frost. I don’t know what the hell came over me then but next thing I knew a lightning bolt had hit him while frost had frozen him with her lips. Stuff happened and I almost kissed her then. The only thing that stopped me was the ring on my finger.”  
“So you got it out.” Joanie finished for him and he nodded.

“I was trying to save all of us some pain and maybe have my happy ending. The last month I feel like I’m already living it.”

Cecile looked at him. “Is that why you’re keeping it a secret?”

“I didn’t think Iris was ready. And I was right”

“I won’t tell anyone and you don’t need to ask.” Joanie reassured him before he even made the question

“I appreciate that. Cecile?” he turned to the officer of the law.

“I won’t say anything for now.” Barry smiled.

“Don’t smile, I said for now. You better say something soon though.”  
“Yes, ma’am.”

“So what do we do now?” Joanie asked.

“We wait.” Cecile said and they all sat back at the table. A little while later the other three members of the family returned.

Barry and Iris didn’t look eye to eye. And Barry was afraid of what could Joe feel. The first time he met his father’s eyes, Joe cleared his voice.

“It’s not easy being a family, but we stick together and we overcome difficulties because at the end of the day we are happier together.”

So they ate, and they made small talk. They let Wally and Joanie fill the silences with stories about their trips and jobs.

Later, once the food in front of them was gone and they were ready to move to the living room, Barry’s phone buzzed again.

_Cait: “Cisco fell asleep on my couch, and now I am lonely.”_

The message was accompanied by a lot of smiling and blushing emojis and an attached photo of her and her big brown gorgeous eyes dilated and pleading for his company.

He smirked and kept looking at Cait’s cute face. Joanie who was sitting by his side leaned over and saw the message.

Before she could react Barry stood up.

“U mm, thanks for dinner, I… I have to go… help out. I need to go. Thanks see you all soon bye.”  
the speedster was barely holding himself from whooshing out of there that nanosecond.

“Mom, if you can read my mind,” Joanie thought really hard “That kid is a goner, completely in love.”

Cecile and Joanie looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

Barry was very excited to be near any version of Caitlin after the night he had. Especially the drunk one. Drunk Caitlin was very amusing she liked being naked around Barry and she really loved to be in contact with his body. She was more open with her feelings and when she was alone with Cisco they both became very grumpy.

So when he phased inside he found her putting a blanket over Cisco.

“You came!” she exclaimed once she saw him.

“Hi.” He smiled.

“How’d it go? Did my messages destroy anything? I didn’t mean for you to come so suddenly.” She slurred her words.

“I wasn’t gonna let my girl all by herself when she wanted company.” He smirked “especially when she’s drunk.”

She came closer to him, her toes almost touching his shoes and she faced him with a serious look and her arms crossed “Barry Allen I would be so mad if you weren’t so hot.” She smiled sweetly and closed the distance between the two. Their kiss was lazy and sloppy at first but then her arms were traveling all over his chest and his were reaching for the skin under her blouse, their tongues wrestled more intensely and before they knew it they were both panting.

Caitlin giggled and Barry realized something. “We can’t do this with Cisco here.” Caitlin turned towards their asleep friend.

“No, not with that attitude.” Barry smirked momentarily and told her to hold off for one second.

Next thing she knew cisco was nowhere to be seen and Barry was getting back to her apartment.

“Now we can.”


	2. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> caitlin gets a little insecure and jealous   
> and Joe is confused

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is the second part of this two shot that i had started eons ago. 
> 
> this one is extra special because ladies and gentlemen we have a special guest star.
> 
> miss @abeewithbooks from twitter is showing up to shake things up.
> 
> Nia is a good friend and an awesome gal make sure to go follow her on twitter.

Alarm clocks:

Man’s worst invention.

Yes, of course there is always the atomic bomb, but in Barry’s mind at least the bomb has the dignity to not torture you like the alarm clock does.

And someone even had the audacity to put it on a phone as an app…

So now he couldn’t even break the damn thing.

So he does the other thing that he can do, he puts his pillow on top of his head and groans.

It would also work, he almost felt sleep take over his body again, if only two cold hands didn’t run through his naked back accompanied by a groan.

“Please, make it stop.” A ball of brown hair mumbled near his head.

Barry felt his grin shaping up and he opened one of his eyes to look at the person beside him.

His right hand went immediately to brush her hair out of her eyes.

“No, you do it. Cait, you make it stop.” He said once his brain decided that the sound was a problem.

Caitlin groaned again and this time she moved away from him.

Or so he thought.

Her hands were away from his back and then she moved her whole upper body on top of his.

She quite literally climbed him and went on trying to reach his cell phone that was still possessed by devil.

She finally turned it off and then she collapsed back on top of Barry with her head on the back of his shoulder and her hand resting on his butt.

She let out a sigh of relief and Barry decided it was now a good time to turn around.

Caitlin almost went flying out of the bed but Barry caught her with one hand and let her drop back on her side of the bed. Only this time he was on top of her.

“Good morning.” He smiled at her and dropped a quick kiss on her lips.

She smiled back.

It was really wonderful to wake up and be so happy so soon on her day.

“I love you.” the words flew out of her mouth. Good thing he already knew.

He kissed her again, deeper this time.

Needless to say they were running late.

Barry had the day off from CPD and they were supposed to be driving to STAR labs by now. Instead Caitlin was taking a shower while Barry was waiting for their breakfast to get cooked.

It was honestly so frustrating sometimes how slow everything else was compared to him.

But he patiently waited anyway in front of the pan for the pancakes to be ready.

When everything was finally ready Caitlin, stepped into the kitchen.

“Have you seen my black heels by any chance?” She asked.

“Frost’s favorite ones?” Barry asked and then took a sip from his mug.

“Yeah, those.” Cait answered with a frown.

“They might be at my place, last time I was out with Frosty she had had a little too much to drink and you know how she gets…” he chuckled at the memory.

“I don’t actually. I didn’t even know you went out with Killer Frost at all.” Caitlin crossed her arms, and Barry gulped. He was in trouble it was obvious by her stance.

“That’s weird. Frost knows what we’re doing. Why didn’t you?”

“Killer Frost only knows what I am letting her see. You know that. I’ve never let her see too personal stuff and things like that.” Her eyebrows were getting higher and higher, indicating she was getting more and more angry.

“Yes, yes I do.” Barry wasn’t sure what the problem was exactly, but he was getting worried. Caitlin was obviously not vocalizing the problem and that meant she was definitely having a lot in her mind.

“I guess I didn’t know,” he continued “that you weren’t listening. Why is that such a big deal?”

“It’s not.” Caitlin told him and microseconds later her eyes turned glowing blue for a second or two.

“And I think you should shut up.” She had clearly addressed Killer Frost.

“What did she say?” Barry asked hesitantly.

“Nothing just… nothing.”

Barry wasn’t sure if he should let this whole thing go, or rather he knew he should talk to Caitlin more make her explain to him, otherwise she would stay silent until it would eat her up.

That was his lightning rod, never wanting to bother anyone.

He was just startled to be so troubled about Frost.

So once they were in the car and Barry had insisted that he would drive so as to drive as slowly as he had to, he had asked her and she kept saying nothing was wrong with her until they reached STAR labs, out there in the parking lot she had finally caved.

They were entering when she stopped speaking and Barry seemed far happier than he was when he exited the car.

“So what you’re telling me is that you’re jealous of Killer Frost. You know the person who you share your body with.”

“Yes, okay, I do.

And you shouldn’t be so happy about it.”

“I am sorry okay, I am. I don’t know any other couple who would be in this situation but us.” He smirked at her, and her own smile came up unwillingly although small.

“I know that, but it’s how I feel. And I didn’t wanna tell you but you had driven around the parking lot for the fifth time.” Barry rushed to run his hands at her arms and let their foreheads touch.

“I am glad you told me. You should always tell me, even if it’s just the smallest thing. If anything worries you or troubles you I wanna know, Cait. Now that I know about this I will help you solve this.”

Caitlin buried her face at the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms around him, he did the same with his and they stayed there as they were both start feeling calmer than before.

“Am I interrupting?”

Barry looked up to see who said as Caitlin was stepping away from him.

“Iris.” Barry was taken aback, at the sound of the name, Caitlin whipped her head around to face the woman.

Iris was standing there more beautiful than ever with her black waves and red lips looking at them with her eyebrow raised.

“Hi.” Caitlin mumbled.

“So am I interrupting?”

“No, No.”

They both answered out of sync.

“It’s j-just I,” Barry pointed at himself “and she...” he pointed at Caitlin

“Killer frost problems.” Caitlin saved him.

Iris seemed to believe it.

“Barry, can we talk?”

“What about?”

“Barry, please.”

“Iris, we’ve been through this multiple times.”

“Just maybe let’s talk alone.”

Caitlin, who had stayed silent through this interaction, looked at Barry he was looking at her too, asking her how to handle this.

“I’m gonna leave you two alone. But I’ll need you pretty soon at the lab, Barry.” She smiled at him.

“Good to see you again, Iris.” Iris nodded and the geneticist turned around and left.

“Iris, I’m getting tired of repeating the same conversation again and again.”

“I know, Bar, that’s why I came. I wanted to tell you some things.”

Barry crossed his arms as a mechanism of defense.

He didn’t talk he waited for iris to do so first.

Iris understood and started “Last time we talked,” she addressed their last family dinner. “You told me that we weren’t meant to be together, and that you weren’t happy, I’m not sure what was that made you believe that but I still love you.”

Barry was ready to interrupt her but she stopped him

“I still love you and I can’t STAND not having you in my life. So I am here to tell you that I am willing to do what you did back before we got together.”

Barry was confused so Iris explained “I would like us to be friends again. I know we can’t go back to being best friends right away but maybe we could try getting a coffee sometime talk a little and start building on it.”

Barry did not expect that, he was actually waiting for the catch. But it never came.

“I would love that Iris.” He smiled “But you have to understand that this is not a way to get back together. If we’ll try to be friends you will have to watch me move on, date, I won’t be hiding from you this aspect of my life.”

Barry watched as Iris face went from angry to sad to understanding “Maybe, we could ease into those things?” she asked and Barry nodded immediately.

He never wanted to hurt her, he wouldn’t start to now.

“Maybe one day soon I will return here to my position as team leader.” Iris said after a moment of silence full of hope.

Well, he didn’t mean to hurt her anyway.

“Iris, that won’t be happening. I am the team leader, it’s called team flash, and I” he emphasized “am the flash, it had always been only me.”

That felt like an invisible slap to Iris, he was sure but it needed to be said.

She didn’t say anything.

“I’m not saying this to hurt you. Whenever we’ll need your help, I will inform you, but let’s not ruin this.”

Iris shook her head but didn’t say anything.

“Flash, run your ass to the speed lab, time you get to work, already.”

“That was Frost. Oh my, Iris I’ll go deal with this. I’m sorry we’ll talk some other time, maybe.”

With that line their conversation was over and he was out of her sight.

“Finally.” Frost threw her hands up.

“Why isn’t Caitlin out?”

“Because I need my exercise too.” Frost said quickly. “Had fun with your wife?” she asked

“Ex-wife.” Barry rushed to answer her. Frost smirked, and he was mentally waving his fist in celebration.

“What did SHE want anyway?”

“I think I’ll talk about that with Caitlin.”

“You really think I won’t find out.”

“Frost what’s up with you today?”

“What’s up with Caity, why is she isolating me all day today, and why is she eating herself up?

Barry I promise you if she’s unhappy I don’t care how I feel about you, I will freeze until you can’t unfreeze.”

“How do you feel about me?”

“What?”

“You said no matter how I feel about you. So how do you feel about me?”

Frost smirked mischievously “You really wanna know Barry?” she took steps towards his way closing the distance without slowing down or hesitating. “Are you sure you can handle my feelings?” she stopped only when she was certain she was breathing his air.

Barry wasn’t backing out though.

“How do you feel about me?” he asked with more determination.

“I love you.” she told him, but she didn’t stop there “Sometimes I just wanna rip your clothes and make you moan more than you have ever before. I want to make sure you’re mine, show it to everyone, especially her, your pretty ex who got you without trying, without loving you truly. But mostly I wanna make you happy, share my freaking life with you, every little aspect of it.”

“And the other times?” he asked his eye darker than before.

“Other times, I like you, you’re pretty cool for a friend.” She turned around hitting him with her icy blond hair on her way not caring for it for a split second.

“And exactly what were you feeling when you hid from Cait the entire night we went out for drinks?”

“What do you want me to had have felt?”

“Don’t play games with me Frosty.” His jaw tightened as he grabbed her wrist lightly.

He was looking at her eyes when they turned brown.

Her hair were the next to turn.

“Cait?”

“Why did she pull me out?” Caitlin asked.

Barry exhaled “I made some tough questions to her.”

“And?”

“Let’s see. Is she anywhere near?”

Caitlin nodded.

“Don’t let her take control.”

Before Caitlin hadn’t time to even nod before Barry closed their distance and kissed her like a starving man.

All passion and teeth his one hand was on her cheek and the other quickly find its way to her lower waist and it kept getting lower and lower until…

“What did she tell you? Is this even for me?”

Barry looked at her with an expression that Caitlin couldn’t completely understand.

“All of it, is for you. All of me. You just really need to start talking to me about what you want. I need you to let me completely in, baby.”

“Barry…”

“Look, let’s sit down okay?” Barry interrupted her.

They did sit down

“What happened Barry?”

“First I need you to tell me, why were you jealous of Frost?”

Caitlin knew she had nowhere to go, especially if she wanted to make this thing work between them. And she desperately did.

“Barry, you were never mine. You told me that great chances are right in front of us and we don’t see them. And then you’re going after Iris harder than before.

We were getting closer again after you became the flash again and out of nowhere you were with Patty,”

“You were with Jay.” He tried to justify his action back then but he too knew it was ridiculous.   
“I’m sorry,” Caitlin said sarcastically “should I wait for you perhaps? When you had never looked at me twice?” she took a deep breath and continued from where she was interrupted.

“And then when I’ve literally been pining for years for you, you notice me when you’re married. And I know, _I know_ you’re not hers anymore. But are you really mine and only mine?”

“I was a fool for so many years Cait… I can’t take back what I did back then, not without destroying the universe. But I love you so much, I’m not even sure if any other person has felt so much love to name it, and if you have doubts let me tell you,

  1. AM. YOURS. AND ONLY. YOURS



If my words aren’t enough, I’ll show you with my actions, every single moment I’ll try to prove it.

I just want you to be happy, sweetheart. Because, now that I’ve felt how it is to be with you, I don’t think I’ll survive without you.”

Caitlin stood up and knelt before Barry with tears in her eyes she kissed him.

“I love you, so much. All of me loves you.”

Barry scooped her up and she sat on his knees, both her legs on either side of his waist.

‘Pants was a good choice today’ she thought before her lips were once attached to Barry’s this time so different than before.

It was like this time he was trying to prove his love for her his adoration in just one kiss.

And Caitlin could almost feel it, believe him.

He broke the kiss and rested his forehead on hers.

“Barry, I love you so much.” She closed her eyes and gulped.

“I love you so much that I’m afraid if I let myself feel it all the way I’m gonna burst, and if for some reason it doesn’t work,” Barry was shaking his head at this, but he didn’t interrupt.

“I won’t think I’ll survive it. I lost Ronnie and it left me scarred, if I lose you… I’ll be broken.”

Barry tightened his hold. “You won’t though. We both felt it when we were in the speedforce, the universe wants us to be together. But even if it didn’t, Caitlin I _will_ destroy the universe to be with you.”

Her hands roamed on his back and finally settled on the back of his head, their foreheads once more touching, they were breathing each other in letting his statement sink, all words of jealousy being forgotten for now.

\----------

For a few days everything was normal once more. They were once again living in bliss.

Except anytime Barry was mentioning Frost, Caitlin’s lip was immediately embraced by her teeth. Barry knew he had to have a conversation about that with her, with both of them really, but he first had to figure out what he was gonna say.

“Your girlfriend is a jackass.” Frost’s voice was heard from somewhere inside the house and her footsteps accompanied it.

Barry turned to see Killer Frost on a towel clearly mad at Caitlin.

“I beg to differ.” He simply said.

“Don’t you wanna know what she did?”

“I have a feeling you’ll tell me.”

“SHE LET ME GET OUT ONLY WHEN THE WATER WAS COLD”

“Don’t you _create_ cold?”

“It doesn’t mean I like being cold all of the time. I am seeking heat Flash.”

Barry chuckled. He was certain his Cait was being passive aggressive towards her other half.

But he couldn’t let them both freeze. He stood up and went near her.

“Here” He said quietly and vibrated his hands on her sides. He started from her shoulders and ended at her fingers. Frost sighed at the warmth he was providing her.

“Now, go dry off and come to the couch, there’s Harry Potter on.”

Frost didn’t answer with any of her usual snarky comments. She simply complied.

Later that night, when Barry and Caitlin were getting in bed Caitlin had to keep asking about her colder half.

“Did she complain much?”

“No, baby. It was pretty fun too.”

“She blocked me again, you know.” Barry snorted.

“I would too, if I’m honest.”

He was expecting a smack on his arm or on his chest but it never came. He looked at her and saw her eyes were dilated and her lower lip bitten.

“Because I would be annoyed and I would want payback. Besides your favorite Harry Potter was on and it would be unfair to see it after you misbehaved.” She pulled her towards him from her waist.

“Okay?” he smacked a kiss on her lips.

“You don’t have to worry.”

“I know I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I love you.”

\--------

Being police captain really pissed Joe off.

He hated the stress, the responsibility, the incompetence of people following orders, everything.

But at the same time it was what he always dreamed off.

And all the things he hated, he also loved.

That of course didn’t mean he wouldn’t need to talk his problems out when he needed it or more precisely it wouldn’t stopped him from whining on his adoptive son and ex-son-in-law.

He was currently making his way towards Barry’s lab when he heard laughter.

It was definitely Barry’s laugh and a female one.

He took two slow steps in and stayed at the door staring at the image in front of him.

Barry was leaning on his counter with his arms crossed clearly relaxed and laughing with the woman that stood in front of him.

Joe did a double take on the woman.

Black hair, fair skin, she was just tall enough that her head reached Barry’s chest. He could hide her with his body if it wasn’t for her curves.

Joe looked at them both then, she was laughing out loud and tilting forwards, while touching Barry’s arm for support.

When she was able to stop she raised her head and tried not to smile, causing Barry’s green eyes to meet her hazel ones and then both of them erupting to a new fit of laughter.

That one ended much faster and she recollected herself once more.

“Okay, okay I like this one very much. So,” she cleared her throat

“What did the mermaid wear to her math class?”

“What?”

“Her algae-bra.”

She was moving her feet so her black boots would meet each other and was playing with the hem of her long shirt looking at him expectedly.

And he delivered, he laughed out loud and he was almost red in the face.

That was when Joe decided to walk in.

Like he wasn’t just looking at them, or like he didn’t know she was there.

“Barry.” He looked at them again when they finally noticed him. Barry just turned his head towards him while the girl took a step back almost blushing.

Joe stopped.

“Nia.” He used his surprised voice. “I wasn’t expecting to find you here.”

“Hi, captain.” Nia said awkwardly “I was just... just checking about some results we’re expecting.” She smiled.

“Okay.” Joe replied simply.

“Joe, you should here some of Nia’s jokes, she’s hilarious.” Barry smiled at his adoptive dad with a big smile.

Nia rubbed her arm with her other hand up and down, clearly about the while interaction.

“I believe you, but I would like to talk to you for now if that’s possible.” Nia nodded and started to make her way out when she turned and waved at Barry.

“Bye, Barry, see you later.”

The two men waited for the girl to be gone and then looked at each other.

“So, Nia...”

“Yes, she’s such a nice girl. I’m glad you hired her.”

Barry said enthusiastically not catching Joe’s vibe.

“I’m sure you are.” Joe commented and Barry just furrowed his eyebrows.

“Barry are you sure you are ready to move on? The divorce wasn’t so long ago.”

Barry bit his lower lip, just like Caitlin would in his place. He knew his time was running down and he would soon have to tell Joe the truth about him and Caitlin.

“Joe, I have already moved on, I’m not hurt anymore, and to be honest I’m ready to feel that kind of love again.” He explained to Joe, while completely missing that Joe was talking about Nia. 

Joe’s eyes widened a little but he just nodded. “I just don’t wanna see you hurt. I love you Bar, and I want you to be happy if that means taking your time then good if it doesn’t then that’s good too.”

Barry nodded too, and he just looked at his dad’s face. Joe loved him, he wouldn’t condemn him for loving Caitlin or chasing his happiness. He felt confidence building up and warming his heart. He was ready to tell his adoptive father the truth and hopefully he could share his happiness with him.

“Joe, I need t…” before he had time to end his sentence the emergency ringtone rang form his phone.

A meta was destroying the marine with his hammer hands.

He quickly apologized and run out of the station.

\----------

“Geez, Barry he could have killed you.” Cisco winced as Caitlin was treating Barry’s head wound.

Sledgehammer, as Cisco named him, turned out to be better than the villains team flash had to face for quite some time. He was in a manic phase when Barry found him destroying everything and everyone that was on his way.

Long story short, the sledgehammer had managed to hit the flash on the face, and the flash lost his conscience. Killer frost was there the next moment to defend the unconscious hero but sledgehammer had fled as soon as he saw the port open.

Now they were all in the med bay, Joe and cisco were watching Caitlin cleaning and icing the wound that covered Barry’s whole left side. This one was deep enough that Caitlin had to take care of.

It was their first injury since Caitlin and Barry had figured things out, so Caitlin’s hands were not as steady as usual and her whole face looked so serious and concentrated.

Barry had discretely rested his hand on stomach where Joe couldn’t see. It seemed to stabilize her, make her stronger, comfort her and reassure her that he was okay and right here with her.

“Well, right now I’m more worried it will leave a mark.” Barry tried to joke, and he could swear Caitlin’s lips twitched a little.

“We both know that was not gonna happen, you’re a speedster, and besides” she used some ice instead of stitches on his left eyebrow “I am an excellent doctor, I wouldn’t leave a scar.” She told him while tilting her head to the side just at the moment he did, a smile threatening to spread at her face.

“I think he’s worried he won’t impress the girl he likes.” Joe commented with a huge smirk on his face.

Three faces snapped towards the older man. And Barry’s hand fell from Caitlin’s stomach.

“What?”

“What girl?”

Caitlin and Cisco asked respectively.

“He hasn’t told you about his crush?” Joe smiled again but when he saw their faces he stopped and looked at Barry.

“What crush?” The speedster asked.

“What crush? There’s no crush.” Joe tried to save the situation clearly thinking that Barry just didn’t want anyone to know.

Caitlin didn’t know what to think. She just wanted to scream. Or run.

Preferably both.

“No, seriously Joe. What crush are you talking about?” Barry insisted.

“I, umm, I was talking about Nia, it was clear you too were friendly this morning,”

“Friendly?” Caitlin repeated while looking at Barry with wide eyes and her eyebrows slowly returning to their original place after they almost reached her hair.

“Nia? What? Joe…” Barry startled his words and looked at Caitlin who was wearing a very unclear expression.

Cisco couldn’t decide if he wanted to get away or get popcorn.

“Nia?” Caitlin asked and that time she turned to Joe for an answer.

Joe answered honestly thinking that there couldn’t be any harm done.

“Yes, she’s one of our newest evidence technicians, a lovely girl, if I might say.”

“And what gave you the idea of, you know, those two?”

Joe was getting confused Caitlin was never one to ask too many questions.

“Well I found them earlier today,” Caitlin’s hair flew from how fast she turned her head towards Barry as the words left Joe’s mouth.

“Telling jokes.” Barry completed Joe’s sentence.

“Yes, and they seemed very relaxed, very… I don’t know she definitely likes him though.

And from the whole conversation that followed that scene between you and me Barry, I was certain you were making sure I was ready to see you move on.”

“Exactly, move on, not with HER.” Barry explained.

“Why what’s wrong with her? Cisco asked this time.

“Oh, she’s apparently lovely, want me to set you up?” Barry told between his teeth, with a fake smile.

“What don’t I know? What is going on here?”

Caitlin decided it was time to end this charade.

“I think we all know Barry is a little shy about those things. Why don’t we leave him be for now.”

And before anyone had time to respond either affirmatively or not Caitlin reached for a cup.

“Barry, I need a urine sample just in case.”  


And everyone scattered.

“Always works its magic.” Caitlin mumbled and smiled at herself.

……………………

“We need to talk.”

Caitlin was certain she was going to hear this phrase from someone’s mouth today but it wasn’t Frost that she was expecting it from.

“What about?”  
“You being stupid.” Was Killer Frost’s immediate response.

Caitlin huffed, and she was certain frost felt it. It was a good think she was sitting alone in her living room because those conversation with her other half always made her feel weird out in the open.

“You seriously need to chill Caity.” Frost announced and then resumed by saying “Pun intended I guess.”

“What about?”

“About Barry, and your relationship. This whole jealousy thing is getting exhausting.”

“Frost you can’t possibly understand what I’m feeling.”  
“Excuse me is jealousy lowering your IQ or something? I feel what you feel most of the time. I know about the insecurities that’s why I didn’t say anything when you decided to punish me. But you’ve been torturing yourself all day today for a completely idiotic reason.”  
“How is Joe assuming Barry has a girlfriend that’s not me idiotic?”  


“Do you honestly think Barry would do that to you? Don’t you know he loves you?”  


“Yes, but.”  
“Why must there be a but? He’s crazy about you. he loves you so much he left the woman he was pining for since child hood to be with you.”  
  
“He didn’t do it just for me.”  


“Oh, there we go again with the stupidity. You know what lay your case, tell me everything you’re afraid and I’ll show you, you are wrong.”

“Okay. Let’s do it.” she answered after moments of consideration. “It might help.”  
“Okay go.”

“He loved Iris for so long how do I know he won’t go back to doing that?”  


“He told you before he loved the idea of her. You know the answer to this Caitlin, come on.”  


“Yes he has told me, but how am I sure?”  
“Because he chose you, he had her and he chose you and have you seen him lately? He’s always smiling. That’s because you make him happy. He loves you and he’s happy with you.”  


“You’re right.” A shy smile escaped Caitlin’s mouth.

“But what about that girl today? Nia?”

“What about her?”

“Apparently there were sparks flying.” She huffed again.

“Are you dense, Snow? We listened to the same conversation today. Nia was after Barry and he was clearly oblivious.”

“What if he’s interested though?”  
“Oh my god. Why are you so insecure? He loves you. He is with you. What more could you want?”

“I want for girls to not go after him.”

“Then do something. Because he is a pretty gorgeous face and girls do see that.”

“Like making it official?”

“Yes!

That’s nice your brain has started working again.”

“You’re right. If that Nia knew that Barry was taken she wouldn’t make a move.”

“Probably.”  
“What do you mean probably?”

“Well, people go after unavailable people all the time.”

“Perfect.”

“Yes, and that’s why you have to trust Barry and most importantly trust yourself. Caity you know I would do anything to protect you, but this one thing I can’t get rid of for you. You need to be the one who realizes you’re an awesome human being, smart, kind, funny in your own dorky way, and we are pretty hot I might add.”

“I know what I am Frost. But that has never stopped all the bad things that have happened to me from happening.”

Caitlin closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.

“All the good things that happen to me, they don’t last. They end in tragedy. And the way I feel for Barry… I’m not sure I can survive any of it ending.”

“Caity…

You are so strong, much stronger than you think. Bad things have happened to you, and probably some bad things are gonna happen again. But you can’t hide away your heart and expect to live your life in happiness, you’ll never be happy if you’re not honest with yourself. You gotta take risks, and those risks, they’re gonna fill your heart and help you survive the next tragedy.”

Caitlin nodded her head.

“And as for me. Because I’m sure you’ll never talk to me about it If I don’t bring it up, you know you got nothing to fear right?”  


“Yeah, actually. I gave it a lot of thought and I know that neither you nor Barry would ever hurt me this way.”  


“Exactly. We both love you too much, besides, he’s too much a dork for me. But Caity, you need to know something.”  
“Uh oh.”

“Every time you suppress a feeling I get that. So every time you want to jump him and you don’t do anything about it, later I want to jump him.”  


“What?”

“Yes, so you see, it’s all in your hands, be truthful and open and everything will be fine.”

“We really need to talk about the last thing you said but yeah,

I think we all will be fine.”

The two women proceeded talking for a long time. By the time Barry arrived at her place, him also opening with the phrase “We need to talk” Caitlin was more sure about herself and ready to overcome her fears and insecurities. She wouldn’t let her past or Barry’s dictate their future, and now she knew that Frost was one hundred percent with her. 

\------------

A week later the annual police gala was taking place and Caitlin with Barry were attending.

Barry had arrived the week before at Caitlin’s place more ready than ever to explain what exactly was happening.

But Caitlin just smiled and ushered him in, reassuring him that she had a pretty good guess about what was happening.

And when she shared that guess with Barry they both figured out she was close to nailing it. The only thing she missed was that Barry was talking to Joe about moving on because he was ready to tell him the truth about their relationship.

“Cait, I love you. And I’m going to stick around for a long time. I mean if it’s in my hands I’m never leaving your side. And Joe deserves to know whom I’ll be spending the rest of my life with.”

So they had agreed that they would go together to the gala and slowly through the night they would reveal to Joe that they were more than friends.

The night was going very good thus far as Barry and Caitlin kept making small talk and even actually talking with some of Barry’s friends from the station.

They hadn’t found the time to tell Joe anything, as he was being busy socializing even more now that he was the captain. But they were confident they would.

Caitlin really enjoyed being out in the open with Barry flirting lightly and not for once being at home just watching TV.

Don’t get her wrong, TV sounds always amazing but sometimes a girl just wants to dress up and go to a party.

That was what she was thinking when she was out of the restroom and back to Barry.

Only she didn’t find Barry alone.

A short brunette with a black dress was holding his hands and dragging him to the now full dance floor, while he was smiling and clearly trying to decline.

There was no doubt in Caitlin’s mind that this was Nia. It fit the description and Caitlin wasn’t really open to thinking more women were into Barry.

“Ugh, where did she come from?”

Killer frost asked Caitlin.

“I don’t know but she wasn’t here before I looked.”  
Caitlin answered.

“So we beat her up right now or do we wait until they dance and then we beat up both of them.”  
“Frost… no. No violence is needed here. Also after what you told me last week, how is that your first response?”

“What can I say I’m a complicated woman.” Frost attempted to just wait but she couldn’t take it for more than two seconds.

“Then what we just sit here and watch, while she makes move after move?”

“Nope, now… you sat up and Watch me.”

Caitlin took long and determined steps towards where Nia and Barry were now standing talking about the latest marvel show they had both watched.

‘She really thinks he can flirt through Jessica Jones?’ Caitlin thought to herself because taking the last step to reach them.

“Baby, there you are.” She placed both her hands while interlocked in each other at his shoulder.

He immediately grinned up at her and rested his hand around her waist.

“Hi, here I am.” He said quite shyly, probably because they were so publically and Nia was half a meter away from them.

“Well, I’ve missed you.” she let one hand fall to his chest and kissed him softly.

Caitlin could practically feel Nia backing away from the situation.

Caitlin grinned before pulling away and Barry lowered his head before quickly speaking.

“Um, Caitlin this is Nia, our newest evidence technician, Nia this is Caitlin Snow, my girlfriend.”  


Nia greeted Caitlin and tried to smile although her whole face was screaming ‘what the hell’ and that was when Frost found the chance to give her the most arrogant and bitchy face expression she could master.

As this exchange was happening Barry was busy staring down another person across the room.

Joe was standing with his mouth hang open and his eyes blinking slightly faster than they would normally.

Barry’s hand tightened around Caitlin’s waist, as to signal her to look at him and then Joe and that’s exactly what she did.

“What do you wanna do?” she asked him. She knew this was one of the most important relationships in his life so he should take the lead this time.

“Let’s go.” He said slowly at her and lowered his hand until he reached her hand.

They walked together and the few meters that was separating them from Joe both afraid and excited at the same time.

“Hello, Joe.” Barry was the first one to talk when he finally was close enough to Joe.

“You two?” the former detective cut to the chase.

“Yes.” It was Caitlin who confirmed.

“But… I… How? When?”

“That’s a long story for another time Joe.” Barry said.

“But the short version is we’ve been together for a month and a half and we’re in love with each other. And we don’t wanna hide it anymore.”

“In love? Isn’t it a little too soon? After the divorce I mean? You guys are risking your friendship.”

Caitlin looked at Barry, and saw that he was ready to answer.

“It’s actually too late. We should be together years ago, but we both got some issues to work through,

“Other experiences to shape our characters,” Caitlin added to Barry’s sentence

“And now we are ready to be together.” Barry picked up from where she left off, “We are good together, stronger, happier. And yes, we love each other Joe.”

“What about Iris?”

“We waited to get together because we respect her.” Barry answered him.

“You waited?”

“Joe it’s a complicated story. I’ll tell you everything when we’re out of here. For now… can you be happy about us?”

“Are you guys serious about this relationship?” he asked both of them seriously

“Yes.” They said simultaneously.

“And you are happy?”

“Yes.” They synced again.

“And you waited until your marriage was over?”

“Yes.” Cait let barry answer this one alone and she simply nodded.

“Okay then. I am happy.” Both the scientists opposite of him smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

“For now.” Joes rushed to say. “I want the story, and soon. And I’m not happy it took you two months to tell me.”

“Okay.” Barry just went with it, ignoring his instinct to correct the timeline Joe presented.

\------------------

Later that night, Barry was getting drinks for himself and Caitlin when he was cut on his way to the bar.

“You have a girlfriend?”

It was Nia who addressed him.

“Yes.” He replied warily.

“Then why didn’t you tell me to stop flirting with you?” Nia’s tone was very casual, which didn’t help Barry relax.

“In all honesty,” He started while fidgeting “I hadn’t realized you were flirting with me.”

Nia froze for a second, she looked him in the eyes and didn’t talk. And next thing Barry knew she was laughing.

“Oh my gosh, that’s so sad.” She said in between laughs. “My best friend always tells me I’m horrible at flirting but I hadn’t gotten that answer since high school.”

Barry felt comfortable enough to laugh when Nia told him one of her failed attempts of flirting.

“So you’re girlfriend…” she spoke again.

“What about her?”

“Please tell me you’re serious with her. You look the type, but people can surprise you, so please say it.”

“Very serious.” Barry was wary again. Shouldn’t Nia be a little upset?

And Nia surprised him again with her air fist. “Yes!”

“I’ve been watching you all night and you’re the cutest couple in here. You’re like straight out of a movie or something. The way you look at her and the way she looks at you I can tell you love each other very much.” Nia’s reaction was very theatrical. She was squealing, and moving like she was suppressing herself from dancing.

“Aren’t you, you know…. Geez this is gonna make me sound so douchy. Aren’t you upset that I’m not available?”

“I was for a sec. But how can I come between true love? I liked you, don’t get me wrong, you’re hot and dorky but I’m already over it. Right now I’m just settling on your couple’s name.”

“Our what? And thanks.” Barry would be more flustered by the compliment if he wasn’t curious about the couple’s name.

“Barry and Caitlin, you’re combined name.” Nia provided in a ‘duh’ tone.

“Baitlin is stupid and Carry's even worse… maybe something with your last names? What is her last name?”

“Snow.”

“SnowAllen? No that will be her last name when you get married.” Nia squealed again at the mention of a marriage.

Barry questioned how could she be so invested in them in such a little time, and he really hoped that they did look as loving as Nia described because that’s how he felt. Plus he secretly loved that someone was so genuinely excited about them apart from them.

“OH oh I got it you guys are Snowbarry.”

“Snowbarry?” Barry repeated.

“Yeah you like it?”

“I do.” He answered.

“Awesome now can you introduce me to your girlfriend without her being jealous? She seems so interesting and she’s so pretty and I love her facial expressions.” Nia stopped abruptly.

“I promise you I’m not a stalker or anything, it’s just you guys were so sweet I couldn’t help but notice you.”

Barry chuckled which make her relax again.

“Let’s grab some drinks and go hang out with Cait then.”

“Oh you call her Cait, that’s so adorable…” Nia kept gushing over them the rest of the night which actually made both Frost and Caitlin to like her in the end.

\------------------

“So everybody knows about us now?” Cait asked when they were entering her apartment later that night.

“Well everyone will by tomorrow morning. You okay with that?” Barry closed the door and made his way to the living room.

“Yes more than okay. I am so ready for everyone to know that I love you.” Caitlin approached him and embraced him with her arms wrapped around his waist and her head buried in his chest.

He kissed her head and hugged her back.

“We’re official now baby. We even have a couple’s name.”  
Caitlin raised her head.

“We do?”

“Yes, Nia gave it to us. Snowbarry. Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

And with that she reached up and kissed him, without worries, or insecurities in her heart. She was just happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter got me on serious writer's block. 
> 
> and that's why it's not as good as i intended.   
> i hope you enjoyed it either way   
> see you soon x.


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